I keep finding more of Joseph Dennis’ Chicago street shots at the cohort that I can’t resist showing. This one shows the last of the big Chevy convertibles in a nose-up takeoff position, getting a hole shot on that CTA bus. No burning rubber, though; it was the malaise era, after all. But the torquey 454 was still available.

The convertible only rated a little corner of the 1975 Chevrolet brochure. Sales actually jumped a bit in 1975, to 8,349, almost double of the number of convertibles sold in 1974. Word was out that this was the end of the line, so it was now or never.

That’s no convert, that’s a sawzall job. Take a closer look-
Also, that’s definitely a Mexico-spec version, the swivel buckets are a dead giveaway. For whatever reason, you could still get buckets and a console in full sized Mexican Chevy’s (and Ford LTDs for that matter) long after they were dropped in the US.

Happy to see more of these. Chicago may have the most photogenic downtown in the US – something about the proportions of the streets and the size of the buildings, with just enough open space to let you back up and really see them.

While not an expert on these cars, I’d suspect that they are not factory original to that car. I gave all the old GM factory sales literature from the 1960s thru and past the 1990s, that was both my dads and mine, to a long-time close friend who is a Chevy guy.

The ’70s may have been called the “malaise era” and that may be true powerwise, but IMO the ’70s produced some of the most beautiful styling ever. That Caprice is both a 2 door and a convertible. Convertibles completely disappeared for a long time, now they are back, but now 2 door cars other than convertibles have now disappeared. Even the lowly Cavalier was available as a convertible for a time, and was available with 2 doors throughout it’s life. I still see a lot of them on the streets, so I know that they not only sold, but lasted.

Great shot of a beautiful car! Kudos to anyone who bucked the trends to buy and drive a new convertible in 1975. It was a sad testimony to the state of the auto industry, and even society, that convertibles were going out of production. GM was the last holdout, by a few years. Drop tops would come back as a niche market in a few years, but the optimism, fun and open weather motoring they represented would not again be a big part of the auto market.

I have never owned a convertible. The closest I ever came was a 1977 T top Corvette, and it was awful with the roof panels removed. It looked cool, but was a poor design. The wind that came in over and around the windshield blew back into the area behind the seats, and came back at you. Kind of like driving in a hurricane. The earlier model C3 “Vettes had a removable rear window to solve that problem. A real convertible should not have that issue, there would be nothing back there to trap the air coming over and around the windshield. I may wind up as a convertible owner yet. I am considering a Mustang, Solara, or Miata convertible. I also considered the Chrysler Sebring, but have been unable to find one in decent condition. I figure everybody should own a convertible once in their life, and being a lifelong motorcycle rider, I think I would enjoy it. Out in the breeze with a windshield and no helmet.

Take a 2 week vacation and rent a convertible. That will probably cure you of wanting to own one. I also am a lifelong motorcyclist and will never be without a motorcycle of some kind. Ever since renting a convertible in the early 90s I have zero desire to own one.

I’ve had my Corvair convertible for seven years plus now, and every time the temperature gets above 65 degrees, the top goes down. It’s great. The secret is to put it up before you drive on the freeway. Then it gets to be a little too much. 🙂

Zolly Frank of “Z” Frank Chevrolet Drove one just like it, I’d bet that’s it, save for the wheels. I know because he nearly drove me, and many others over with it at the old showroom at 6116 North Western avenue.

When I see one of these cars, I cannot help but picture Marcia Brady driving the Dad’s burgundy Caprice convertible on the Brady Bunch, zipping through the pylons to try and beat her brother Greg in a driving contest.